The DIY Film Distribution Guide
You finished a film. Maybe a distributor picked it up, maybe you're self-distributing through an aggregator, or maybe you're still deciding between the two. Either way, nobody teaches you what happens next: the deals, the deliverables, the QC rejections, the six weeks of silence while your film sits in someone's ingestion queue.
PDF, 15 pages
Built from 15+ years of professional platform delivery, aggregator, and QC experience, this 15-page guide walks through the entire distribution process chronologically, in plain language:
What to understand before signing a distribution deal (rights, territory, term, recoupment, red flags)
The post-acquisition checklist: every asset and document you'll be asked for
Chain of title, E&O insurance, and music clearance explained simply
TVOD, SVOD, AVOD, and FAST: what each model realistically means for an indie film
Why metadata drives discoverability and revenue, not just paperwork
What QC actually checks, and how to avoid the redelivery loop
A realistic timeline from signed deal to live on platform
A no-budget marketing playbook for self-distributing filmmakers
Common first-timer mistakes, and how to avoid them
A full glossary of distribution jargon
This isn't legal advice, and it doesn't replace an entertainment attorney. What it does is make you a dramatically better-informed participant in your own release, whether you're working with a distributor or doing it yourself.
